10 Most Promising New Video Game IPs Coming In 2016

7. Battleborn (PC, PS4, XBO)

The Borderlands series was one of the big sleeper hits of the last console generation. We all expected it to be good, but no one anticipated it becoming such a phenomenon that it remains one of the most widely-played video game series to this day, and worthy of a story-driven Telltale Games spin-off (which is actually really good!). With that in mind, it's hard not to keep one eye on this new upcoming IP from the creators of Borderlands, a squad-based shooter with a wacky, off-the-wall visual style (more 'cartoon' and less cel-shaded than Borderlands), and a focus on online play in the vein of multiplayer online battle arenas. To this end, the game features 25 distinct playable characters, ranging from weird sword-wielding aliens, dwarves with shields and axes, and your classic classes like machine-gunners and healers. The quirky characters kind of resemble action figures from the 80s, which scores instant nostalgia points for Battleborn's unique aesthetic. With MOBAs being the absurdly popular phenomenon that they are, and several other similar games competing to create the first big MOBA shooter (more on one of those games later), it'll be intriguing to see whether Battleborn can capture gamers' imaginations like Borderlands did last-gen. We know that there will be a single-player campaign in the game too, and there's a good chance this will need to be rock-solid if the game is to be successful.